Antonio Margarito Is Bad For Business, Bad For Boxing

As a longtime fan and sponsor of boxing and a close, personal
friend to Miguel Cotto, it is my opinion that Antonio Margarito
is the worst thing for boxing.

My love of boxing makes me hate anything that threatens its
integrity. Margarito was caught wrapping his gloves with plaster
of Paris the
night that he lost the WBA Welterweight title to “Sugar”
Shane Mosley.* His conduct inevitably leads to a questioning of
the legitimacy of his victory over Miguel Cotto in his previous
bout.

[Ed. note: Maragrito and his trainer
were suspended from boxing for one year after the incident at
the Mosely fight.]

It is unlikely that fans will ever know the exact point in time
when Margarito became a cheater, but the undeniable fact remains
that Margarito has sacrificed his honor as a boxer.

The upcoming fight between Margarito and Manny Pacquiao (for the
vacant WBC Super Welterweight title) creates a no-win scenario
for boxing. If Margarito loses, then fans have additional
evidence that his career was built on dishonesty and cheating.
And if he wins, we will call a cheater a champion. Should boxing
fans admire someone who used cement to attain a level of pain and
destruction that can’t compare with human flesh and
muscles?

Athletes are supposed to be honorable, and represent themselves
and their people with pride. Mexico has a long and storied
history in boxing. Julio Cesar Chavez is a six-time world
champion in three weight divisions. For several years he was
considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and is
arguably the greatest fighter to represent his country and
heritage.

Ricardo Lopez is the rare breed to have retired undefeated
(51-0-1) after defending the WBC Strawweight championship a
record 21 times and tying Joe Louis' record for consecutive title
bouts without a loss (26).

"The Golden Boy" Oscar De La Hoya is of Mexican descent and a
gold medalist at the Barcelona Olympic Games who in his pro
career defeated 17 world champions and won 10 world titles in six
different weight classes.

Rich with great champions and tradition, Mexican boxers have
proudly and honorably represented themselves in the sport for
many years and will continue to do so. Margarito should not be
allowed to tarnish a tradition that Mexican boxers have spent
decades establishing.

Antonio Margarito has been anything but honorable, and as a
sponsor I refuse to represent anyone who has exhibited that kind
of behavior. Any company that sponsors Margarito needs to
seriously reconsider what they represent as a brand. To sponsor
Margarito is not to sponsor boxing. It is a decision to pay an
athlete who has risked doing irreparable physical harm to fellow
fighters.

Two men enter a ring to challenge each other’s strength and
athleticism. There is honor in that. When I look for boxers and
mixed martial artists to sign sponsorship deals with Ecko, I seek
out fighters who display the pride and honor of a warrior. I look
for fighters that will strive toward victory with an honest,
powerful message, a message that I don't believe carries over to
a guy like Antonio Margarito.

Eric Samson is a marketing consultant in action sports, who
specializes in building brands through social media and strategic
partnerships. He has been responsible for Ecko Unltd's Sports
Marketing initiatives since 2006 and was a sponsor of Miguel
Cotto's on the night he fought Antonio Margarito.